Rotary gathering mechanism



Dec. 7, 1954 c, L 2,696,288

ROTARY GATHERING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 28, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR:

CHARLES F. BALL ATTORNEY Dec. 7, 1954 c; F. BALL 2,696,288

ROTARY GATHERING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 28, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR:

CHARLES F. BALL ATTORNEY Dec. 7, 1954 c. F. BALL ROTARY GATHERING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet s Filed Aug. 28, 1952 INVENTOR:

CHARLES E BALL BY z 7 ATTORNEY Dec. 7, 1954 c, BALL 2,696,288

ROTARY GATHERING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 28, 19 52 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. CHARLES F. BALL ATTORNEY United States Paten a .;RO'I ALRY GATHERING MECHANISM "Charles F.Ball, Franklin, Pa.,- assignur to .loy Manufacluring Company, Pittsburgh, Pa.-, a corporation of Pennsylvania Appiic'ation Au ust-28, 1952, Serial No. 306,878

'7 Claims. (C1. 198*9) Thisdnventi'on relates 'tor'otary gathering mechanism "and'mo'r'epartieularlyto'arotary gathering mechanism 'e's'peciallydesigned' for use" with the loading head of a loa'ding'machine for gatherin'gloosematerial on the door 'o'rground during eitherlateral or forward'm'ovement of the loading head.

"In-loading machines of certain types and particularly inthe loading means o'fa continuous miner of a known "type, it is desirableto load from the side as well as from thefront, and the present invention contemplates improvements soveriknown'types of gathering mechanisms by effecting side loading'as well as frontalloading in an improved and more efficient manner. ering'rnechanis'rn of the present invention is rotatable "about an upstanding axis on a head frame and embodies articulated or jointed "flights whereby the jointed flight members'may' readily follow the irregular or uneven surfaces 'of'the frame'for'movement near the floor at the side as well asat the front of the loading head so that the-loose materialon the-floor orgroundmay be effectively gathered andmoved onto'the conveying means of the machine. The ar't'iculated flights aremounted on and -'are drive n*by a revolving hubstructure journaled on' the *frarneof the-loading head and the irregular surfaces of theheadframe-over which theflight's move during hub rotation-are so shaped that the flightsmay m'ove laterally and downwardly along the side of'the head, then latera'liy andinwardlyat thefront of the head and then "move upwardly and r'earwardly to' discha'rge onto the conveying means. Each of the flights embodies an The rotary gathinner arm and an outer 'ar'tn'. By appropriately inclining slightly the pivotal axes at the inner ends of the inner-arms with respect to a plane perpendicular to "the hub axis the flights are tilted sidewise with their leading sides lower than the trailing sides so that, as the hub is rotated, the arms are maintained down against the-irr egular frame surfaces" with the leading edges of the flights inscraping'contact with the surfaces. The rotary'flight' structure is rugged and durable in design; and well adapted I for its intended purpose.

-An-objectof the present invent-ion is to provide an improved gathering mechanism for a loading head for gathering the material onthe'floor or ground at the side as well as at the 'front of the head so that loading maybe e'lfected as the head is moved laterally as well as forwardly into the material to be loaded. Another object is to provide an improved rotary gathering amechanism having a novel articulated or jointed conveyor flight structure. Yet another object is to provide animproved rotary gather ng mechanism embodying an improved fiIfiCIllfltCdOIJOIIItCd flight structure comprissingian inner arm=pivotally mounted on a rotary hub and .an outer arm pivotally connected to the inner arm so that the jointed arms provide a conveyor flight which .may move over uneven or irregular top surfaces on a head-frame as the hub'is'rotated. Still another object is to provide an improved stop or abutment structure associated with :the outer arm and cooperating with the inner arm to limit downward tilting of theouter arm with-respect toza planedetermined by its own pivot axis and a1-point in the pivotaxis of-the inner arm, as the mechanismisrotated. A still further object is to provide tanimproved' arrangement of the flight arm pivots with 2,696,288 Patented-Dec. 7, 1954 "ice surfaces of'the head frame during the gathering operation. These and other objects and advantages of the invention will, however, hereinaftermore fully appear in the course of the'ensu'ing description.

In the accompanying drawings there are shown for purposesofillustration one form and two modifications which the invention'may assume in practice.

'In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front perspective view of a loading head with which a preferred form of the improved rotary gathering mechanism is associated.

Fig. 2 is a-fragmentary side perspective view of the loading head and gathering mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an axialsection taken in the planes of line 3 3 of Fig. 1, 'showing'the rotary hub structure andits rive.

Fig. -4 is a cross sectional view taken in the planes of line 4-4 of Figs. 1 and 3. v

Fig. 5 is a detailsection taken on line 5 5 of'Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a detail section taken on lin'e6"6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to" Fig. 1 illustrating a mo'dified construction.

Fig. 8 is an axial section taken in the planes of line '88 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary axial section showing a further modification.

In this illustrative construction, as shown in the drawings, the gathering and loading head is generally designated 1 and may be used with a loading 'machine of any conventional type but is herein especially designed for use with a continuous miner of a type similar to that disclosed in theRussell and Sibley applications, Serial Nos. 102,995 and l0 2-,996,both filed on July 5, 1949, and owned by the same assignee as the present invention.

in known types of loading machines and particularly in a continuous miner of the type referred to, it is desirable to effect gathering and loading of loose material on the floor or' ground as the head is moved laterally as well as forwardly, and rotary gathering mechanism, generally designated 2, are arranged on upstanding axes at opposite sides" of the loading head in position to gather the loose material and to' move the same laterally and rearwardly onto a conveying means 3 which extends centrally betweenthe gathering mechanisms, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The upstanding axes of the rotary gathering mechanisms are designated 4 and are inclined slightly both forwardly and outwardly at each side of the head inthe manner shown. The driving means for the gathering mechanisms may assume various forms but herein for-illustrative purposes comprises for each gathering mechanism an upstanding drive'shaft 5 journaled at its upper portion inabearing 6 supported within a casing 7 disposed beneath the head frame and detach- "ably securedto the head frame asby screws 8. The lower end of each*shaft-is-journaled in a' bearing 9 carried by a detachable bottom cap or plate 10 held in position on the head frame as by screws 11'. The casing 7 has arrangedthereinaspur gear 12 keyed to the shaft 5 and having a-spur pinion 13 meshing therewith (Fig. 3). A flexible shafting' d4 drives through bevel gearing 15, indicated in dotted-lines in Fig. 4,- a transverse shaft .16 to which a worm 17 Fig. 3) is secured. Theshaft .16 is connected by a universal coupling 18 to a cross shaft 19whi'ch is in turn connected by a universal cou- Jpl-ing- 20 to a transverseshaft 21 which likewise has a worm secured thereto. These worms have teeth of opposite hand and meshwith worm wheels 22 keyed to upstanding shafts 23 journaled in bearings supported withrainhousings 24 integral withithe bottom caps 10. The apinions 13 are formed on the upper portions of the upstanding shafts 23. Thus, when the'flexible shafting 14 is .suitablydriven the rotary gathering mechanisms may revolve simultaneously in relatively opposite directions :so' that the loose materialon thefloor or ground may 'be gatheredat'the sides and front of the head and may be swept inwardly and rearwardl-y onto the conveying means3.

lNow referringtto the .detail structure of each rotary :zgathering mechanism.asashown'inhigs. 1 to 6winclusive .it will benotedxthatkeyed to'the tapered upper end of -each shaft 5 and-.held tightly inzposition thereon .asby

a screw and nut connection 26 is a rotary hub 27 having a series of equally spaced lateral lugs 28 traversed by bores 29 arranged with the bore-axes inclined slightly with respect to a plane in which the upper hub surface lies. These lug bores receive pivot pins 30 on which the inner ends of inner arms 31 are pivotally mounted to tilt in upstanding planes perpendicular to the axes of the pivot pins. The arms 31 have spaced inner lugs 32 which are perforated to receive the projecting ends of the pivot pins and the outer ends of the arms have transverse bores 33 which are preferably-and that is the arrangement illustrated-paralle1 with the lug-bores 29 and receiving pivot pins 34. Pivotally mounted on the pivot pins 34 are outer arms 36 having spaced perforated lugs at their inner ends for receiving the projecting ends of the pivot pins 34. The outer arms each have a bottom surface 37 and an upwardly and rearwardly inclined forward surface. 38 and the surfaces 37 and 38 merge at the forward side of the arm to provide a leading edge 39 which moves in linear contact with and scrapes over the irregular or uneven surface of the head frame as the hub is rotated. By inclining the axes of the pivot pins 30 of the inner arms with respect to a plane perpendicular to the axes of the revolving hub, in the manner described, the outer arms will, when the inner arms which support them slope downwardly outwardly and they themselves are moving in contact with the frame surface which they traverse (as in the positions of a, e and d shown in Figure 2), be tilted sidewise in such a manner that their forward edges make scraping contact with such surface, and the bodily position of each of the outer flight arms is rearwardly disposed, in terms of direction of orbital travel, as compared with that which would have existed had the pivot axes of the inner arms not been tilted with respect to a plane perpendicular to the hub axis. Thus, the pivotally connected inner and outer arms cooperate to provide articulated or jointed conveyor flights which may readily travel over the uneven or irregular surfaces of the head frame to gather and convey the loose material to be' loaded.

The outer flight arms 36 have lugs or abutments 40 at their inner ends which underlie bottom surfaces 41 of the inner arms, and these lugs prevent tilting of the which might get beneath the arms, and the inner arms are free to swing downwardly about their pivots to enable the arms normally to remain in contact with the uneven head frame surfaces. The particular arrangement and shape of the arms tends, however, to main-. tain the outer arms in contact with the frame surfaces.

The head frame at each side of the head has inclined, tapering or generally frusto-conical surfaces 43 which diverge downwardly, and a flared bottom surface 44 extends generally radially outwardly with respect to the.

axes of each gathering mechanism, and slopes from its uppermost surface 45 forwardly and downwardly at 46 to its lower inclined surface 47. The sloping surfaces 46 and 47 terminate along curved outer generally arcuate edges 46A and 47A. A forwardly and downwardly inclined plane intermediate surface 48 extends between and joins with the inclined surfaces 47, as shown in Fig. 2. The head frame has parallel vertical side surfaces 50 at the sides of a passageway 51 extending between the gathering mechanisms and in which the conveying means 3 is arranged, and the upper sloping surfaces 45 extend inwardly and join with the tops of these vertical surfaces.

As the gathering mechanisms are rotated, the arms indicated at a move upwardly and rearwardly over the inclined intermediate surface 48 to elevate the loose material and to discharge it onto the conveying means 3 and as these arms move rearwardly from the intermediate surface, as indicated at b, the lugs 40 on the outer arms engage the bottom surfaces of the inner arms so that the outer arms cannot tilt downwardly about their pivots into the passageway, and the arms indicated at 0 pass over the uppermost surfaces 45 and then move laterally and downwardly along the lateral sloping surfaces 46 as indicated at d and then move inwardly over the forward bottom surfaces 44 as indicated at e to sweep the material laterally and inwardly toward the intermediate surface 48. As the arms travel along the sloping side surfaces downwardly from the uppermost surfaces the outer arms may tilt upwardly about their pivotal connections with the inner arms and the inner arms may freely tilt downwardly, so that the inner arms may ride over the tapering or generally frusto-conical surfaces 43 and the outer arms may closely follow the downwardly sloping and inwardly curving surfaces of the head frame over which they ride. Thus, the flight arms travel along the sides of the head frame and laterally along the front of the head frame so that the loose material on the floor or ground may be effectively gathered and loaded as the head is moved either forwardly or laterally into the material. The sides of the head frame have upstanding retaining flanges 52 which curve upwardly and inwardly to the sides of the passageway 51 which receives the centrally located conveying means 3.

To repeat somewhat, the structures with which the systems of rotating arms and their supports cooperate provide generally circular upper surfaces surrounding the axes of rotation of the hubs. From the edges of these generally circular surfaces there extend the surfaces 43, which may be described as frusto-conical, but of varying cone angle, the slope length of these surfaces being determined, where they are to be contacted by the inner arms, by the length of the inner arms. It will be noted that these surfaces do not extend completely around the circumference of the circles first mentioned. Outwardly of the base of the so-called frusto-conical surfaces 43 there are the surfaces 46, 47 whose characteristics are determined by the necessity for bringing the arms down from the positions they occupy after passing above the edges of the trough through which material is moved, down to the floor surface from which material is to be loaded. The upper portions 45 of these last surfaces slope obliquely outwardly and downwardly from the edges of the conveyor trough. The forward portions 46, 47 of these outer surfaces may again be perhaps best described as resembling frusto-conical surfaces of varying cone angle, extending between the floor and the lower edges of the second surfaces, and they are determined as to their slope lengths in large measure by the lengths of the outer arms. It will be understood that the particular conformation of the several surfaces will vary, depending upon trough inclination and other dimensions varying with design, but in general the lengths of the inner and outer arms will be determining factors in the design of these surfaces.

in the gathering mechanism so far described, the proportions of the arm structures are made such that their outermost ends do not project beyond the forward generally arcuate edges 46A and 47A. Such arrangements are well adapted to the handling of material such as is produced by the vein-attacking and disintegrating mechanism of a known type of continuous miner. if shot coal, however, or other material in which the material to be handled is, though fragmented, still in relatively solid condition, it is desirable that the arm structures attack the material to be loaded in advance and laterally of the forward edges of the inclined head frame structure over which the material is to be loaded, thus avoiding the necessity for forcing the forward and lateral edges of the loading head into a relatively solid mass of material. An appropriate arrangement for the latter type of use is disclosed in Fig. 7 wherein the head frame has its sloping surfaces 46' and 47 terminating along curved outer generally arcuate edges 46A and 47A which are set back from the outer extremities of the outer arms 36 of the rotary gathering mechanisms so that the outer arms may sweep over the floor in advance and laterally of the head frame to gather material on the floor and to sweep it inwardly and rearwardly onto the conveying means 3. The outward lower portions of the outer arms are desirably flattened at 53 in advance of the arcuate edges, as shown in Fig. 8, so that the outer ortions of the arms may travel close to the floor outwardly beyond the sides and front portions of the head frame.

In the modified construction shown in Fig. 9, the arms of the rotary gathering mechanisms each comprises three pivoted arm elements 31, 54 and 55 and the inner arm 31 is identical to those shown in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive while the intermediate arm 43 is desirably somewhat shorter than the arm 38 of the other embodiment. The arm 55 is desirably relatively short and is pivotally connected at 56 to the outer portion of the intermediate arm to swing in upright planes in axes parallel to the pivotal axis of the inner and intermediate arms, and the forward lower surface 57 of the outer arm is adapted to travel close to the floor beyond the sides and in advance of the head frame generally in the manner of the modification shown in Fig. 8. The outer arm has suitable stop lugs 58 engageable with surfaces on the outer portion of the intermediate arm for limiting the swinging movement of the outer arm either upwardly or downwardly relative to the intermediate arm. Thus, by plurally articulating the arm structures the gathering mechanisms, when rotated, may closely sweep over the irregular surfaces of the head frame and outwardly beyond the frame to gather the material on the floor and to move the same inwardly and rearwardly onto the conveying means 3. Otherwise this embodiment is similar to the embodiment first above described.

As a result of this invention an improved rotary gathering mechanism is provided having an improved articulated or jointed flight structure which may readilyride over the irregular surfaces along which the flights travel as the mechanism is rotated. By the provision of the articulated rotary flight structure and the associated irregular surfaces on the head frame, the jointed flight arms may freely traverse the irregular surfaces to gather the material either at the side or at the front of the head as the latter is moved into the material to be loaded and may move effectively the material upwardly and rearwardly over the frame surfaces to discharge onto the conveying means. By inclining the flight pivots and tilting the flights sidewise relative to the hubs, the flights will, as they encounter resistance to movement set up by the material resting on the sides and forward surfaces of the head frame, be urged downwardly toward the irregular surfaces on the head frame so that a more positive scraping action of the leading edge on the outer arms is provided as they ride or slide over the irregular surfaces on the head frame. The so-called irregular surfaces, so far as they are made up of the portions 45, 46, and 47, are so arranged that the edges 39 of the outer flight arms 36 may ride smoothly over them, while the inner flight arms 31, at least during the period during which they move over the arc which bounds its forward surface portions 46 and 47, follow closely along the surface 43. The improved rotary gathering mechanism and its novel articulated flight structure are relatively compact and simple and rugged in design. These and other advantages of the invention will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art.

While there are in this application specifically described one form and two modifications which the invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this form and these modifications of the same are shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be further modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A gathering mechanism comprising a conveyor flight pivoted to tilt in upright planes and movable in an orbital path along a surface over which the material to be gathered is conveyed, means for mounting said flight for orbital movement, and means for pivotally connecting said flight to said mounting means with the pivotal axis of said flight inclined slightly to its instantaneous path of travel along said surface to cause said flight to assume a tilted position with respect to said surface so that the forces due to engagement of the flight with the material being moved tend to hold the flight down toward said surface.

2. A gathering mechanism as set forth in claim 1 wherein said mounting means for said flight is in the form of a rotatable hub to which the flight is pivotally connected and wherein the hub axis is inclined laterally and forwardly with respect to the vertical to cause the outer portion of said flight as said hub revolves to move through a substantially circular path near the floor level both at the side and the front of the mechanism.

3. A gathering mechanism comprising an upstanding revoluble structure, a frame on which said structure is journaled for rotation about an upstanding axis, said frame having an irregular upper surface radiating from said axis and having its outer edge disposed near the floor level both at the side and the front of the mechanism, and a series of articulated conveyor flights radiating from said revoluble structure and each having an inner arm pivotally connected to said revoluble structure to tilt in upright planes about a pivotal axis and an outer arm pivotally connected to said inner arm to tilt in similar planes about a parallel axis, with the pivots of said arms so arranged that upon rotation of said structure said outer arms may traverse said irregular upper surface of said frame.

4. A gathering mechanism as set forth in claim 3 wherein said pivotally connected inner and outer arms of each flight have coacting abutment means for limiting tilting movement of the outer arm in upright planes in one direction with respect to the inner arm.

5. A gathering mechanism as set forth in claim 3 wherein the pivotal axes of said inner and outer arms of said flights are tilted slightly with respect to a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said structure so that the forces due to engagement of the flights with the material being moved along said irregular upper surface tend to hold said arms down toward said upper surface.

6. A gathering mechanism as set forth in claim 3 wherein each conveyor flight has a third arm pivotally connected to said second mentioned arm to tilt in upright planes about an axis parallel to the pivotal axes of said first and second mentioned arms.

7. A gathering mechanism as set forth in claim 3 wherein each flight extends outwardly at the floor level beyond the outer edge of said irregular upper surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 765,832 Hamilton July 26, 1904 1,796,943 Pratt Mar. 17, 1931 1,821,440 Levin Sept. 1, 1931 2,183,383 Sloane Dec. 12, 1939 2,575,287 Myers Nov. 13, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 683,183 Germany Nov. 1, 1939 

